Additional Persecution News from China – August 2, 2017 (13 Reports)

August 27, 2017

(Minghui.org)Today's news from China includes incidents of persecution that took place in 12 cities or counties in 8 provinces. According to this report, 6 Falun Gong practitioners were subjected to mistreatment during their detention, and at least 18 were illegally arrested.

Ms. Wang Ping was arrested in High-Speed Rail Station security check point after agents found Falun Gong amulets in her bag. Police ransacked her home and arrested her husband, Mr. Shao Fangdong. Their whereabouts are unknown.

Ms. Zhang Cuifang was arrested on July 31, 2017. Her daughter was called to police station the next day and never returned.

8. [Beijing] Ms. Zhao Shuling Sentenced

Ms. Zhao Shuling was sentenced to 1 year in prison and fined 1,000 yuan on June 28, 2017 for distributing Falun Gong materials.

The 66-year-old woman was arrested on September 22, 2016, and first appeared in court on January 16, 2017. It's learned that she has been moved to Beijing Third Detention Center on July 25, 2017, to serve her term after being sentenced.

This is not the first time that Ms. Zhao has been targeted for her faith. She was given two years of forced labor on May 22, 2008.

9. [Beijing] Ms. Liu Yanmei Sentenced

Ms. Liu Yanmei was sentenced to 4 years in prison on July 27, 2017.

The 50-year-old woman was arrested on November 29, 2016 for inviting the public to attend a trial of Falun Gong practitioners. Police targeted her because she is also a Falun Gong practitioner.

Ms. Liu was tried on July 6, 2017, and her lawyer defended her innocence. The presiding judge convicted her weeks later.

An appeals hearing was held on July 27, 2017, in the trial of Mr. Xie Yiqiang, a senior engineer at a special equipment inspection facility.

Mr. Xie, 53, was arrested on September 4, 2016, for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. He was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months on April 21, 2017.

During the appeals hearing, Mr. Xie's lawyer reiterated the fact that no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong and that his client should never have been prosecuted. Mr. Xie had prepared a written statement but was stopped after reading just the opening section.

Mr. Xin Shuren was arrested on November 11, 2016, for distributing Falun Gong materials. He was tried on March 21, 2017, and later sentenced to 8 months in prison.

He was released on July 10, 2017, after finishing his prison term.

12. [Yiyang City, Hunan Province] Mr. Liang Jianguo Sentenced

Mr. Liang Jianguo was sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. He is appealing his sentence.

Mr. Liang was arrested on June 20, 2017. He went on a hunger strike in protest and was force-fed brutally. His health quickly declined and he was rushed to hospital, where he was shackled and watched around the clock. His family noted he had lost a significant amount of weight and also vomited blood from time to time.

When Mr. Liang was tried on July 28, his family and supporters were barred from entering the courtroom. His lawyers defended his constitutional right to freedom of belief and refuted the questionable prosecution evidence.

The presiding judge sentenced Mr. Liang to five years at the end of the hearing.

13. [Chengdu City, Sichuan Province] Ms. Liu Hui Tried

Ms. Liu Hui was tried on July 31, 2017, for refusing to renounce Faun Gong.

Her two lawyers entered a not guilty plea for her, as no law in China criminalizes Falun Gong.

The prosecutor claimed he had four witnesses testifying against Ms. Liu, including her parents. The lawyers argued that their client's parents never agreed to be prosecution witness as they knew their daughter broke no law by exercising her constitutional right to freedom of belief.

Ms. Liu also testified in her own defense and shared how Falun Gong turned her into a better person. While her fellow teachers charged high fees for tutoring students, she always offered free help to struggling students.

Ms. Liu's parents and sister attended the trial. They once held misconception about Falun Gong and didn't quite understand why she held firm to her faith. After the trial, they came to see Ms. Liu did nothing wrong, and they expressed gratitude to local practitioners who also attended the trial.